Pages bring many years of sculpture experience to new business

Pieces the couple has worked on can be found at the White House, Smithsonian Institution and many presidential libraries

By Kenneth Jessen For the Reporter-Herald

Posted:
08/07/2012 11:11:10 PM MDT

Husband and wife team Bob and Kathy Page are partners in life and partners in business with a combined experience of over six decades. (Kenneth Jessen)

Kathy Page works on a wax casting that accurately duplicates the original work of art. She is getting this piece ready to be cast in bronze at a foundry. (Kenneth Jessen)

Bob and Kathy Page operate Page Inc. founded last year. But this husband and wife team brings over six decades of combined experience to the art industry in Loveland.

Bob Page operated Dream Chasers and Kathy Page operated Page Wax Production for many years. They elected to merge their businesses and with the exception of casting, this team provides full service to sculptors.

The company can handle sizes that vary from the tiniest pieces up to monuments. They also do restoration work on older pieces. Artists can rent space and learn the process as they work on their own pieces.

Bob Page's background started in Lubbock, Texas, 33 years ago as an apprentice and grew to become a manager of several foundries over the years.

Kathy Page's background goes back 29 years in wax casting, chasing and preparation for the bronze casting process.

Loveland Sculpture Works hired the two of them and moved them to Loveland with the agreement that they would remain employees for a minimum of two years. The couple then saw an opportunity to strike out on their own.

Bob Page's specialty is the tack used on bronze pieces that depict the American West -- reins, ropes, saddles, halters. He helps artists incorporate the details based on his study of historical photographs.

As for his sense of immortality, Bob Page speculates that he is involved in the creation of works of art then might endure for centuries. He thinks about some far distant archaeologist digging up a bronze sculpture he worked on and says, "It is an honor to be part of a visual legacy." He adds, "What I helped create might end of being something that was once represented part of our civilization."

Bob Page welds together a work of art by Jason Scull. The welds will then be ground smoothed by a process called chasing. (Kenneth Jessen)
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When asked about the tools she uses, Kathy Page says that they are the same tools she has had for nearly three decades. For wax chasing, she uses several irons to smooth the wax but other tools are virtually identical to those used by the artist. Most of the wax is poured into the mold by gravity, but for smaller pieces with lots of fine detail, she uses an injection process where wax under pressure is forced evenly into the mold.

Both of them are amazed by the varied lives of the artists. One customer was at the first hydrogen bomb test 66 years ago and another was in a bus next to the World Trade Center on 9-11. As pieces of the buildings rained down, the bus driver fled leaving behind the passengers, including the artist.

Works of art where the Pages were involved can be found all over the country including the White House, the Smithsonian Institution and many presidential libraries.

Their place of business is 418 Eighth St. SE, Unit A-1 in Loveland and they can be reached at 970-669-6125.

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